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Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Baking Day

A read a lot of Little House on the Prairie during my formative years.

A lot.  A lot.  A lot.

I'd ride my bike and pretend it was a horse.  

I'd write stories where the characters were named Laura and Almanzo.

When my friend, Jill, (you know, Jill of the Oatmeal Breakfast Bars) would ask me where I would go if I could go anywhere in the world, I would immediately respond, "Mansfield, Missouri!"

Mansfield, Missouri.  

It's where the Laura Ingalls Wilder House and Museum is.

Obviously.

Don't read into the fact that I have Leah's hair in 2 braids a majority of the time like my little buddy, Laura.



Anyway, so as I've reread the Little House books to our girls, I've found myself being more and more impressed by Ma.  

Let me tell you, Caroline had it going on!  

She cooked, baked, sewed, taught, moved constantly and did all of this with next to nothing.

She was the original super mom!

Inspired by Ma, I decided to having Baking Day yesterday.  I feel like Ma had baking day, wash day, make a ball out of a pig's bladder day (seriously...Little House in the Big Woods).

I didn't mention this in the June Menu, but I also want to keep meals as easy as possible during the summer.  I don't love heating up the house with the oven in the summer, so I figure the more I can do ahead of time (and all on one day), the better!  

So, yesterday I made...

...and Baked Brown Rice.  I struggle in the making rice department which is weird, I know. 

Super, super simple!

You need:  


1 and 1/2 cups brown rice
2 and 1/2 cups of chicken broth

That's it.  If you don't have broth, you can even just use water and some salt.

Mix the brown rice and chicken broth together and pour into a greased 8x8 inch pan.  Cover tightly with 2 layers of aluminum foil, and bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

Remove from the oven and let it sit for 5 minutes before removing the foil.  Fluff with a fork and serve.



Or if you're me, divide in half and put in freezer bags for later.


I made 2 batches which is enough for 4 meals for my family.  

I got the recipe from Mel's Kitchen Cafe, and she even has a variation to the recipe that sounds delicious, but I don't think my people would go for it.

If brown rice isn't your thing, this is my favorite recipe for white rice.  Delicious!  I wish I could figure out how to make it with brown rice, but nothing I've tried has worked.

I also wanted to make Chocolate Chip Cookies and French Bread Rolls, but didn't get to them, because Leah had to come home from school early.

She was running at recess, didn't look where she was going, and ran right smack into some playground equipment.  She was dizzy and had a huge bump on her forehead, so they sent her home.

The whole being dizzy thing made me want to call the doctor, and they had me bring her in.

Leah is fine.  The doctor said she may have had a concussion and told me what to watch for.

We always get smoothies at McDonalds after going to the doctor, and today was no exception.


I'll gladly trade a day full of baking for time with my girl...even if it is time spent at the doctor.

I'm sure that Caroline would agree.

PS:  If you could pray for Leah at school today, that would be great!  She's reeeeally self conscious about the bump.  I'm writing this Monday night, and the bump is big.  We're praying that it gets smaller over night.  Please pray, too, that she has self confidence that is based in Jesus' view of her.  I know that her classmates won't be mean (only curious), but she is very uncomfortable with it.  Thanks!

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